Earth Observation Data Scientist

About us

The UK Centre for Polar Observation and Modelling (CPOM) is an international leader in studying the impacts of climate change upon the polar regions. We specialise in the use of satellite data for tracking and understanding Earth’s rapidly changing land and sea ice, and are passionate about delivering innovative information and datasets to a broad range of scientific and public sector stakeholders. With an international reputation for developing new satellite missions, algorithms and datasets, we work closely with multiple national and international partners, including the European Space Agency and the British Antarctic Survey.

Lancaster University hosts one of the principle CPOM research hubs in the UK, specialising in the study of the Greenland and Antarctic Ice Sheets. Our work aims to quantify and understand the contribution that ice sheets make to sea level rise, under our changing climate. Working in Lancaster, you will join a rapidly-growing, ambitious and friendly group, with the bonus of fantastic areas of natural beauty such as the Lake District on your doorstep.

Here are some tasters of our work and its impact:

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/05/antarctica-s-ice-is-melting-5-times-faster-than-in-the-90s/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-47461199

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2016/07/19/greenland-lost-a-trillion-tons-of-ice-in-just-four-years/

About you

We are looking for an Earth Observation Data Scientist with a scientific degree or equivalent experience, who is passionate about tackling the pressing challenges of climate change. Relevant industry experience or a postgraduate qualification is desirable, but not essential. You will work on a range of national and international projects, supporting CPOM’s core business of developing and analysing satellite datasets. Your day-to-day tasks will be wide-ranging, including data analysis and visualisation, system design and algorithm implementation, and contributing to scientific research. You should have a keen interest in problem solving and the desire to work collaboratively as part of a broader team. An interest in Earth Observation and Spatial Analysis with Python is desirable, alongside the ability to work proactively on a wide range of projects.

Responsibilities

We are a dynamic and rapidly-growing team and so you will have the opportunity to be involved in many different aspects of our activities, including system design, data engineering, algorithm development and implementation, and dataset analysis and production. It’s genuinely exciting and rewarding work; with the opportunity to influence the direction and impact of our group within an international setting. The core responsibilities of the role are:

• To develop and implement Python-based tools for advanced satellite data analysis and visualisation. 
• To contribute to scientific research that is focused upon the impacts of climate change in Polar regions.
• To work closely with members of the CPOM Polar Research group in Lancaster, to support code development and to integrate prototype algorithms into the broader CPOM processing ecosystem. 
• To undertake analysis, testing and validation of new satellite datasets and products, including those from future satellite missions as they become operational.
• To contribute to technical reports and documentation.
• To participate and present at relevant national and international project meetings, including those with the European Space Agency.

What does it mean to work with us?

• You will be working on projects that make a difference; developing methods and datasets that aim to better understand the contribution that ice sheets make to sea level rise.
• We are a dynamic and rapidly-growing team with a range of different backgrounds, who really enjoy learning from each other. This is an exciting time to join us, with the opportunity to help shape our future work and to make a real impact on the international agenda.
• You will have the opportunity to collaborate with a broader network of CPOM scientific and technical staff from across the UK.
• We care about the environment, and all our projects and research is focused on understanding the impacts of climate change on our planet. If you share this outlook, you’ll enjoy working with us.
• We are constantly exploring and discussing new scientific and research opportunities as a team.
• Through our interactions with national and international bodies, we aim to influence the national and international climate change agenda.

This is a full time post, anticipated to start in May 2024, or at a mutually agreed date, and expected to finish in April 2028. 

Informal enquiries are welcome, please contact Mal McMillan; m.mcmillan@lancaster.ac.uk. 

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Please note: unless specified otherwise in the advert, all advertised roles are UK based.

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